Question

Structure of SF₄ is ______.

Options

• octahedral

• bipyramidal

• square planar

• tetrahedral

Answer 1

Structure of SF₄ is bipyramidal.

Explanation:

The structure of SF₄ (sulphur tetrafluoride) is trigonal bipyramidal with one of the equatorial positions occupied by a lone pair of electrons. This is because the central sulphur atom undergoes sp³d hybridisation, resulting in a trigonal bipyramidal electron geometry, but the presence of one lone pair distorts the shape to a see-saw geometry, often described as bipyramidal with lone pairs.

Hence, SF₄ has a trigonal bipyramidal structure with one lone pair, not octahedral, square planar, or tetrahedral.